Brooder.



A. WALDWICK.

BROODER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1,190a

95999715., Pat-@111911 May 31, 1910.

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y xsf@ STATS PATIENT OFFICE.

ANTI-ION WALDWICK, OE OAK HEIGHTS POULTRY FARM, WASHINGTON.

BROODER.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ANTHON WALDWICK, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Oak Heights Poultry Farm, in the county of Pierce andState of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Brooders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in brooders, or devices forhovering and caring for chicks which have been artificially hatched.

The object of my invention is, in general, to improve and simplify theconstruction of such devices, and in particular, to adapt them for usewit-hout lamps or other articial means for heating them. It thereforebelongs to that class of brooders known as reless brooders.

My invention comprises the novel parts and combinations of parts whichwill be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawii'lgs I have shown my invention embodied in theform which is now preferred by me.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation upon the lines A, A, of Fig. 2. Fig. 2is a plan, the roof being removed and parts of the hover torn away toshow its construction.

In the use of brooders there are many objections to the use of lamps forthe heating thereof, among the most apparent being the trouble of caringfor them and the expense this involves. Vhile this is a serious troubleand objection, a more serious one is the danger of fire when lamps areused. Another serious diiiculty is the strong likelihood of overheatingthe chicks, vitiating the air they breathe, and as a result of theseconditions, weakening their vitality.

Vith a knowledge of these facts acquired through long practicalexperience, I have sought to produce a brooder which would hover thechicks satisfactorily without using any artificial heat, and wouldutilize the animal heat of the chicks to produce a regulated flow ofair, thereby avoiding all danger of fire and overheating and providingpure fresh air at all times.

My invention is susceptible of many minor variations of structure. Thatshown in the drawings is the one which is now most preferred by me,which will now be described.

The inclosing case of my brooder is composed of the sides 1 and thebottom 14. If

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed .Tune 1, 1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

serial No. 499,583.

the brooder is to be used exclusively indoors no cover is necessary. Insuch case the sides of the box would naturally all be of the sameheight. lVhere, however, the brooder is to be used outdoors, a covershould be provided, in which case the front side 10, would be higherthan .the rear wall and the adjacent sides inclined, as is shown in thedrawing, and a cover 16 would be provided. This cover as shown, consistsof boards covered by building paper 17.

The hover `2 is constructed upon a square frame formed by the four bars20, said frame being of a size to fit rather loosely within the outercasing or box, s0 that it may be removed readily. Upon the upper side ofthis frame are nailed a series of wood strips or bars 21, very slightlyspaced apart and covering the entire area of the frame. From the bars 21depend strips 4t, of hovering material, the same being of such characteras will retain the natural heat of the chicks. Vhile various materialsare well adapted for this purpose I have selected as preferable, felt. Ihave made these strips of such length that they may be looped over thebars 21 and have each end depending. rThese may be placed upon each ofthe strips 21, but if they are placed over each alternate bar andslightly spaced apart upon the bars, there will be a sufficiency ofthem. The wood strips or bars 21 will be spaced apart about right ifthey are brought snugly against the felt strips, the felt acting asspacers for the bars 21 and being more or less held thereby. Over thetop of the hover as thus made is placed a. layer of paper 6, which has acentral hole, as 60, through which the foul air of the brooder isdischarged. Should the outside temperature be very low or the chicks bevery small, this opening may be wholly or partially closed, as by apaper or board, thus regulating the escape of air and heat. This will becontrolled by the necessities of ventilating and maintaining the propertemperature. Over the paper is tacked a layer of cloth 5, such as burlapor other loosetextured fabric, such that there is a diffused passage ofair therethrough.

The spacing of the felt strips t leaves a large number of small openings22, through which air may filter. The paper cover 6, if imperforate,blocks any circulation through these openings. If an opening, as 60,exist in the paper, then there will be a certain amount of circulationthrough the openings 22, the hole 60 and the mesh of the cloth Suchcirculation would cause air to flow from the cool sides toward thecenter and then up and out, thus providing pure air in suiiicient butnot excessive amounts to the chicks.

At the corners the hover frame is cut and triangular posts 3 are placedin the corners of the box to serve as supports for the hover. Theseposts 3 are provided with series of holes 31 at ditl'erent levels andadapted to receive nails or pins 30 upon which the hover rests. F ornewly hatched chicks and for the first few days of their life, the lowerhole should be used, this supporting the hover so that the strips 4 arebut little above the floor. As the chicks get older the hover is 'raisedby transferring the pins to successively higher sets of holes. It maythus be easily and quickly adjusted so as to properly fit the chicks atall stages of their growth. l

For ventilation I provide two round holes 11, 11, upon each side exceptthat containing the door. These holes are placed toward each corner andare round because such shape may be readily made by an auger. I providemeans whereby the effective area of these holes for ventilation may becontrolled, the means shown and preferred being to pivot a small pieceof sheet metal 12 close to the opening so that it may be turned to coveror uncover the opening.

As an additional and a permanent ventilation I connect the holes in anyside with a slit 18, the same, as constructed, being simply a saw cut,and preferably being inclined so as to slope downwardly toward theexterior, whereby the entrance of rain is prevented when the brooder isused outdoors. The ventilating holes 11 are preferably placed at such alevel that when the hover frame is supported upon the pins in thelowermost holes 31, the center of the holes 11 is on a level with thebottom edge of the hover frame. In this position the slits 13 areclosed, except for such circulation as may take place between the edgeof the hover frame and the side of the box or casing. This frame inreality never lits so close as to prevent a little circulation at thispoint. There is also a little circulation taking place directly upbetween the hover frame and the sides of the box.

In the front side of the box or casing is placed the door 7 which isprovided with a hole which serves as a Ventilating opening and aconvenient means for getting hold of the door to open it. The door isheld closed by a button 71 pivoted to the box at one end of the dooropening. In the outdoor brooders Ventilating holes 11d are providedthrough the front side of the casing just under the roof 16. These arepermanent-ly open. The outdoor brooders are also provided with strips 15under the Hoor, designed to raise them slightly from the ground. Uponthe floor within the brooder I have shown a layer 9 of material designedto protect the floor from fouling. This may be of any material preferredor available. Vhile the chicks are quite small I prefer to use a clothor paper, but later sand is as good as anything.

I provide two knobs or handles S, whereby the hover may be easily liftedout whenever access to the interior is desired. The brooder is thuseasily cleaned.

The air inlets are about the exterior of the brooder, and part at least,of the air exits are at the center, thus producing a circulation fromthe outer toward the inner parts. The numerous depending felt stripsenable the chicks to get in among them where they are kept warm, whileat the same time these strips are separated suliiciently to permit freecirculation of air for the use of the chicks. There is no tendencytoward smothering at the center.

In actual use I have found this brooder to be very successful in raisinghealthy and strong chicks, both when used indoors and outdoors. Thechicks are given no artificial heat and appear robust and lively, givingno appearance of chilling or bowel troubles. The Ventilating meansprovided are so distributed and may be so thoroughly regulated that anabundance of air may be provided without producing an objectionabledraft.

One strong feature of advantage in my broeder is that it is soconstructed that all the air inlets and exits are of small size anddispersed so that no strong draft is produced at any point, and alsothat the circulation is from the sides toward the center, from whichpoint it is discharged through the numerous small openings in the hoverframe and through the central opening in the paper cover. Thediffusioirof this air is further assured by discharging through themeshes of the burlap. F or its open-mesh character, durability,cheapness and general adaptability for the purpose, burlap is the bestmaterial with which to cover the hover frame.

Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A hover for brooders comprising a frame work having a series ofspaced bars extending in the same direction across the frame, fabricstrips looped over and depending from said bars, and a series of bindingbars inserted between the other bars and engaging the fabric strips tobind them 1u place. t

2. A hover for brooders comprising a frame, a series of spaced barsextending in the same direction across said frame, a series of fabricstrips looped over and depending from said bars and being spaced apartupon the bars, and a set of binding bars inserted between the other barsand engaging the fabric strips to bind them in place.

3. A hover for broeders comprising a frame, a series of spaced barsextending in the same direction across said frame, fabric strips loopedover and depending from said bars and spaced slightly apart upon thebars, a set of binding strips inserted between the other strips andengaging the fabric strips to bind them in place, and an air-perviousfabric covering the upper surface of said frame.

4c. A hover for broeders comprising a frame having a series of spacedbars extending across said frame in the same direction, fabric stripslooped over said bars and depending therefrom, a set of binding stripsinserted between said other strips and engaging the fabric Istrips tobind them in place, and an impervious layer of material covering saidframe except for a space at the center.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aiiixed my signature at Seattle,Washington, this 21st day of May, 1909.

ANTHON VVALDWICK.

l/Vitn esses CHAs. R. JENSEN, HENRY L. REYNOLDS.

